Shadow's Thunder, Lightning's Darkness
by Kereea
Summary: The Shadow Booster had captured the other four boosters and turned them over to Word Payyn, with one request: The Lightning Booster is to be given to Shadow to become his apprentice. What plots will Lance uncover, and what will he become?
1. Chapter 1

I don't own dragon booster. I started this fic a long time ago, I just kept forgetting to post it. Yhis was originally intended as a darker version fo Lightning and Shadows, but it''s really evoled into something else. R&R!

Part One; Captured  
Lance's POV  
I don't know how he did it, but the Shadow Booster captured us, all of us. Me, Artha, Kitt, and Parm as the Dragon, Lightning, Power, and Fire Boosters; we were all captured. I'm scared; Word Payyn, whom Shadow has turned us over to, is smiling at us almost hungrily. He now looked at Shadow, "You have done well, Shadow Booster. As soon as these four are locked up, you shall have your reward…"  
"Actually Payyn, my reward concerns their being locked up. I want the small one released into my custody," Shadow replied, turning to look at me. I shook. Fire and Power were out cold, but Dragon, my brother, was still going enough to pull me behind him.  
"No." His voice sounded so weak. Shadow has taken us by surprise, and drained almost all of our energy. It was taking all I had to stay awake.  
Payyn looked amused, "You have no power, Dragon Booster; your dragon is unconscious, as are those of your comrades." Man, I wish he used smaller words. "Tell me, Shadow Booster, why should I allow this? He will not do anything you want, therefore it would be a wasted effort on your part."  
"You have his friends, Payyn, he wouldn't dare." Shadow shoved Artha to the side, and he stared straight at me now, "Will you, to protect your friends, come with me?"  
I couldn't say anything. If I refused, they might hurt Artha, but I couldn't; I can't….  
"I will." Did those words come out of my mouth? Artha is shaking his head muttering, "Take it back kid, take it back now!"  
Shadow chuckled, "Glad you see it my way. Do we have a deal, Payyn?"  
My visor only went down to my nose, so I knew Word could see my lips quivering. He reclined in the chair behind his desk, "Yes, Shadow Booster...we have a deal."

I was dimly aware of Shadow dragging me over to his dragon. Fracshun was right there, held by the powerful energy Shadow's dragon was releasing. Shadow let go of my shoulder. "Get on."  
I headed toward Fracshun, only to be grabbed again. "Not your dragon, my dragon."  
I slid into the saddle behind Shadow. "I want to know why you want me."  
I heard a low snicker from the man in front to me before he said, "During the original war the Lightning and Shadow Boosters were a team. True, that time it was against the war, but history never exactly repeats itself, now does it?"  
"If...if I do what you want, then the others…"  
"Will stay alive," he said, as if he were telling me they would get over a cold. "Word Payyn may have some sway over, me, but I have a good deal of sway over him as well."  
"Where are we going?" I didn't recognize this place; it was deep in Down City.  
Shadow snickered again, "That would be telling. Before we get there, I have a few rules. As you go in you will note that your room had only a few things; a dresser, a bed, a desk, a lamp and an empty shelf. Please me, and things will be added to make it more comfortable. There is a VIDD-comm on the desk; it has been specially wired so it can only call me. Rule one; unless instructed, do not leave your room, unless you are either A, using the adjacent bathroom or B, I am escorting you. Are we clear so far?"  
I nodded, unsure of what else to do.  
"Good. Rule two; you are to call me Shadow or sir at all times. Rule three; what I say goes. If I tell you to jump, I expect you to do so."  
"Yes Shadow," I said softly. I want to cry, and I'm pretty sure I'm shaking because of it.  
Shadow's tone softened, "Your friends will be fine. Like I said, Payyn won't do any permanent damage to any of them as he needs and wants my help."  
"Are th-there any other rules?" I mumbled.  
He nodded, "Two more. Rule four; no mumbling. Rule five; don't tell me who you really are."  
"What? But you said that you'll be coming to get me out of my room-"  
"I will knock. If your armor is off, activate it. Likewise, you are not to know who I am...unless I decide to tell you."  
"Why?" I asked in what I prayed was a suspicious-not-at-all-whiney voice. I hoped I wouldn't get in trouble for questioning him. Actually, I was relieved that I wouldn't know; if I managed to get the others free I would be against Shadow, not knowing who he was will make that easier.  
"Because I want no bond between us which knowledge of the other's identity would give. If I choose to tell you, it is because I trust you with it."  
"When will that be?" I stifled a yawn. I was getting sleepy again.  
"When I know you are on my side."  
Ha. Fat chance of that ever happening.  
"Let me guess, you're thinking that there is no chance that it will happen. You are wrong, Lightning. You will come over to my way of thinking eventually. You won't notice it, but soon you'll find that you are looking at things differently. Looking at them the way I do. You are like everyone else, kid; you have darkness in you. I'm going to help you find it."  
I gave a silent sigh. Things were about to go downhill, I just knew it.


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own dragon booster. I started this fic a long time ago, I just kept forgetting to post it. This was originally intended as a darker version fo Lightning and Shadows, but it''s really evoled into something else. R&R!

--

Thanks to all who reveiws the last chapter!

--

Part Two; First Test  
We were now in the Old City. Ruins and cliffs were all around us. Fracshun gave a low groan of worry as he looked at the rock walls nearly closing in on us. He was padding quietly beside the Shadow Booster's dragon, who obviously knew where she was going. I knew it was a she; after all, I'm the son of a dragon breeder.

Suddenly she stopped, and Shadow leapt out of the saddle, leaving me to wobble on the back without him to put my weight on. We were in front of a large wall covered in carvings, and a little graffiti. Shadow placed one hand on his dragon's head and mag-pushed a slab - apparently the door - down.

"Come on," he said blankly. I followed, unsure of what else to do.

The walls loomed over the four of us. I wished Artha was here, or Kitt, or Parmon. Heck, I'd even take Moordryd at this point! But it was just me, Fracshun, Shadow, and his dragon.

Shadow mag-pushed down another 'door' and pointed forward, "Your room."

Like Shadow had said earlier, it was pretty darn bare. Fracshun walked in slowly, and I followed him

.  
The Shadow Booster folded his arms across his chest, "I'm leaving for a bit. Don't try to get out." With that he mag-pulled the door up, leaving me alone in the room. The only lighting I had at the moment was four dim orbs, one in each corner. From their glow I could see that two used black Draconium, and two used my color, blue.

Like heck I'm not going to try and get out! A mag-push/pull can't be that hard, right?

Wrong. I mean, I've seen Artha, Kitt, and Parm do it. It's not my fault that I'm behind in training with this kind of thing, I happen to have homework.

Scales, what about school? True I don't go that much, but still, I am going to have so much work piled up.

I put my hand on Fracshun and focused myself, just like dad always told me to, again. The door started to glow blue, and slowly, like maybe and inch a minute, slid down. Okay, yes, I'm exaggerating, but not much.

Finally the door was open enough for Fracshun and me to get through. We slipped out and started down the dark hall. About a few steps later I ran into, guess who? Shadow.

"I knew you'd try," he said, tugging me back. "It was a test. You passed."

I wiggled in his grip, but it was to strong for me to break away from. He dropped me on my bed. He held up a device. "Do you know what this is?"

I had seen it before. It was an influence scanner. It showed a person's Draconium influences. I coolly said so.

Shadow nodded, almost approvingly, "Correct, good, you aren't an idiot. I'm leaving now; I want you to check your Draconium levels."

I glared at him as he left, not that he could see past my visor. I already knew my levels; forty percent blue, thirty percent light green, twenty percent white, and ten percent orange. I chucked the scanner into my pillow. It opened, and a note fell out. I picked it up.  
_You think you know your levels, don't you? Well, let me tell you something. The reason the minimum age for racing is fourteen is before that, a person's secondaries can change. It's a defensive mechanism in both young humans and young dragons, so that they can adapt to survive. I'll say it again, check your levels._

I activated the scanner. I then read the message, before tossing it aside and flinging myself onto the bed. Its message continued to scroll, even after it hit the wall.

Forty percent blue. Thirty percent light green. Nineteen percent white. Ten percent orange. One percent black…

--

R&R!


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own dragon booster. I started this fic a long time ago, I just kept forgetting to post it. This was originally intended as a darker version fo Lightning and Shadows, but it''s really evoled into something else. R&R!

--

Thanks to all who reveiws the last chapter!

--

Part 3; Looming Darkness

It's been weeks.

I don't know what's happening to me. I'm starting to feel like I don't care about anything. Shadow for some reason usually rewards me when I try and defy him, and I'm starting to see why. Blue is the color of loyalty and energy, I mean, everybody knows that. Just like my dad taught me that black is the color of ambition and cunning, which in most people's minds, excluding the Black riders themselves of course, can translate to 'resorts to anything to achieve their goals', which is what half the time I end up doing when I'm defying him.

I'm starting to worry though. I still don't know if the others are alright, heck, for all I know Word Payyn rules the city by now.….

While I was thinking, there was a knock. "You can come in, I'm in armor."

Shadow strode in, "Come on, we're going out."

"As in I actually get to leave?" I asked, once again I was trying to sound suspicious. "Why?"

"Because I say so," Shadow said icily. His tone softened slightly again. "I have something I need to do. You get a free day. Go see you parents if you wish, I suppose they're worried. Don't tell them anything, understood? And you know what will happen to the other three if you don't come back." On the last sentence his voice became hard once more, as if he realized that he was being something close to nice.

--

I was out of my armor and heading for the stables. I went down the elevator and found my dad.

"LANCE!" he yelled and hugged me. "Where were you? I heard that Payyn captured the others, how are they?"

I gripped his shirt and started crying, "It-it's true! And if I don't work with th-the Shadow Booster Word'll ki-ki-kill them!"

He looked at me, "You've been with the Shadow Booster?"

"Mm-hm. He said I'm his…apprentice." I cringed, waiting for Dad's reaction.

"So... he has read the ancient legends." My dad didn't seem to know what to feel. Part of him looked shocked, part sad, part glad I was safe, and I think there was a bit of anger, probably at Shadow. "He knows that you can work together easily. What has he had you doing?"

I thought for a millisecond (I learned that word form Parm), Shadow had told me not to tell anything, and I had already told a lot. The good news was, my dad was smart enough not to try something drastic, because then his other son would die, along with two others, "Nothing really, just studying some old scrolls, he mostly leaves me alone. Dad, I've been wondering something, why would black be a color of balance if they helped to start the war?"

He looked at me funny, "Why do you want to know?"

"Well…during the Drakkus incident, we saw some writing in a temple that said that they helped end the war. I've been wondering why ever since."

He stood and started pacing, Mortis-style, "Well, according to legend, apparently one of the members of the Black Emperor's court betrayed him, and went to help the Dragon Booster. The makers of the other armors, a small group made of three Keepers and two Mechanists were impressed by his bravery, and made him the black armor. It is said that the betrayer was the Emperor's own son."

"You mean….Moordryd? So…that's why the time Moordryd pretended to be good and Artha got jealous you told Artha to quit it because you thought Moordryd was being legit?"

Dad nodded, "I did hope that it was true, even though my gut told me otherwise. Word knows history as well as I do, he has made sure that Moordryd will not betray him."

Something told me that wasn't right; Moordryd stopped his father once after all, when he took on the Wraith Booster. I decided to change the subject, "So, do you know exactly who the three Keepers and two Mechanists were?"

My dad looked quizzical for a sec, but then he answered, "One of the Mechanists was Geyr. He was one of the greatest Draconium workers of all time, and is the ancestor of Rivett. Two of the Keepers were twins, Hyde and Fleeyt. One of them, I'm not sure which, is an ancestor of Stewward."

I nodded, ten I saw the clock, "Oh scales! Dad, I gotta go, Shadow'll scale me if I'm late." I ran to the elevator, and as the doors swished shut behind me, I heard a disappointed sigh.

But for some reason, it didn't hurt. I was now more afraid than ever.

Afraid for Artha and the others.

Afraid of Shadow and Word, and then there was Shadow's mysterious mentor Arrmeggadonn (Who I never saw.).

But most of all, I was afraid of what I was becoming.

--

R&R!


	4. Chapter 4

Hi everybody, here's the next chapter. Sorry it took so long! (Weeps) I'm just lazy...

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Part 4; No Choice But

I sat behind Shadow on his dragon; it was a day after seeing my father. I had recently scanned my influences again, Black was at seven percent. I asked Shadow, "Where are we?"

"Arrmeggadonn said to go here."

Humph, of course. Take directions from your amulet, don't deny it, I've seen you talking to it! That thing gives me such a bad feeling! I tempted fate, and nudged Shadow's amulet-and-gauntlet arm, indicating what I wanted.

Shadow gave a grunt in response, I tried again. I got an elbow in the stomach. Another nudge, another elbow.

At last he gave in and lifted his wrist, "Fine. Arrmeggadonn, where are we?"

He then started nodding, I assumed that Arrmeggadonn or Shadow, it had to be one of them, was blocking the conversation. I heard Shadow give some sort of gasp, then cock his head, then nod coolly. It was almost like watching a mime, a mime that could kill me without difficulty that is.

We entered a strange room. Dark crystals glittered, and then I remembered, this looked like one of the Shadowtown Power Plants that my class went on a field trip to. But, if it's shut down, then, isn't there stray energy-

My thought was cut off as the crystals sprang to life and I-can't-think-so-bright-weak-feeling-can't-stay…..awake……

----

Lightning slumped against me. Arrmeggadonn chuckled, "Perfect."

"What is perfect?" I asked, as we left the radioactive building. My 'amulet' chuckled.

"Moordryd, I already told you. His Black Draconium levels were not high enough for what we need. Either he will control the energy inserted by the radiation, or it will break him. And he has no choice but to stay with us now, only we can help him contain, and eventually control, it."

I nodded, absentmindedly thinking of home. Not with my father, scales no! But with the Dragon Eyes, that was such a life! I even miss that stable brat, Artha Penn, a bit; miss his bro a bit more. I miss mini-brat, I'll admit it. He made a good kid-brother-for-a-day. Lightning reminds me a bit of him. I guess that's why I'm attached to him, despite my attempts to avoid any contact that could lead to any emotional bonds.

Finally I asked, "What exactly do you mean by 'break him'?"

The two fiery eyes glittered at me, "Basically, it will annihilate his desires and memories. He will be like a living shell."

I raised my eyebrow, not that he could see it behind my mask, but with the shock that I'm feeling I'm sure that the strain in my voice was probably enough, "And if that happens? He won't exactly be of use to us!"

"Moordryd, Moordryd, Moordryd," Arrmeggadonn sighed. "As I said, he will still live, but his mind will be blank. And of course, he will wish for _you_, as the only person around, to fill in that blank. You can tell him whatever you want; you can turn him against his friends, against his family-"

"I have no idea who they are."

"Well, you can definitely turn him against the other three boosters," he hissed directly into my mind. It really weirds me out when he does that. A few of the Dragon Eyes thought I was losing my sanity.

I'm starting to wonder if I still have it.


	5. Chapter 5

Part 5; Let It Become Clear….

I had left the kid in his room. Arrmeggadonn was waiting for us. He had assumed this shadowy, humanoid form, saying he would 'help' Lightning control the energy. I knew he had another form, with creepy grey armor, but didn't question to why he wasn't using it. I had picked up another slightly broken scanner, the kid had a bad habit of throwing them, and I realized that this one was the same as the one I had originally scanned him with, before this whole ordeal.

I was Moordryd once more, no armor. I flopped down on my bed and flipped the scanner in my hands. I decided to look at the original readings in the log.

I then dropped it.

I looked over the original readings once more. Same influences, 10 years old, same height, similar dragon….plus he _had_ always reminded me of…..

"Mini-brat," I breathed. Suddenly Arrmeggadonn's words returned to me, 'Either he will control it…..or it will break him.' What had that ever seemed worth it to me? Oh, oh, oh, scales, mini-brat! I can't let this happen to him, not mini-brat!

I shot down the hall, armor forgotten, and forced the door in front of the kid's room open. Or at least I tried. Something was stopping me.

'ARRMEGGADONN!' my mind yelled in fury. This was wrong, I wouldn't let him; no I wouldn't! This kid was my friend! Well, kind of anyway.

As I was trying to open the door, it was about a third of the way open by now, and I could here the kid's crying through that stupid energy grid Arrmeggadonn had set up. I could see the kid, out of armor, with the radiation stimulated Black energy around him; it seemed to be trying to get out, not that it could. He wasn't a rider built to hand that much Black as a secondary!

"No…no…no...Please…stop it… I-I-I please don't, it hurts…."

I finally just shot through the open bit of door, to scales with getting it open all the way, and grabbed the kid away from my 'mentor'.

Arrmeggadonn was yelling something, but I didn't catch it. The kid realized who had him, and was now begging _me_ to make the pain stop.

"Moor- please, Moordryd, make it stop, please, I can't, make it Moordryd please stop it. It hurts so bad, I don't, Moordryd make it, stop it please, I can't…..please." The last word was a whisper. I willed any sort mental connection I had with 'Cepshun to get her here with the mini-brat's dragon. My shirt was soaked with his tears; I should have known from Arrmeggadonn's words that the radiation induced energy would be painful.

The kid's sobs were dying down, but he was still shaking so I think the Black Draconium was still paining him. His eyes focused for a moment, and he was looking just past me.

Then he yelped; right as something grabbed me around the neck. I looked for Arrmeggadonn, but all I saw was my amulet on the floor, the string I kept it on had snapped. I let go of Lance and tried to tug the arms away from my throat, I turned slightly and saw two blazing red eyes set in a helmet, Arrmeggadonn was back in his true form, that of an ancient warrior.

Arrmeggadonn continued to choke me as I tried to throw him off, but he was too strong. The kid was curled up in the fetal postion on the floor, still whimpering, when there was a double set of growls. If I could have gotten air I would have yelled, "Decepshun!" in glee, but I couldn't. She stood over the kid as his dragon pounced Arrmeggadonn and me. Arrmeggadonn vanished as the young dragon crashed down on top of me, cracking at least one of my ribs. Thank the Magna Draconis he was a blue dragon and therefore acrobatic, or I'd be in the emergency room right now. Decepshun was absorbing some of the Black Draconium that the radiation had put into the mini-brat. Soon he was just quiet, asleep in peace.

I cleared my mind and did the one thing I had learned perfectly from my father: I analyzed. First, the kid would soon be in pain again, as Decepshun couldn't get all of the energy out at once. Second, Arrmeggadonn would soon reappear, and he would be mad. Third, at least one of my ribs was cracked.

First solution: get the kid out of here but keep him with me. Second solution: grab some gear and food, and then run. Third solution: unavailable.

I swung the kid up on his dragon, and then I grabbed his backpack. The good news was it had food in it, the bad was that it wouldn't last long, and I'm not overly fond of candy. I ran back to my room, grabbed two sets of rappel gear, one ramming gear, thruster gear, a few disrupter mines, two aero gears, a tool kit I had swiped from Vizz, and some Dragon Star gear. Decepshun magged most of it, with Fracshun, that was his name I think anyway, taking a few pieces.

We then left, and I had no idea where we were going.


End file.
